Device for separating and feeding cups supplied as a nested stack



May 14, 1968 w. E. CARTWRIGHT ET L DEVICE FOR SEPARATING AND FEEDING CUPS SUPPLIED AS A NESTED STACK 6 Sheets-Sheet, 1

Filed May 12, 1966 6 Y INVENTOR. H [H Willard E Carfwr/g/l/ Boyd D. Goda Will/9m H. Hi/fenberyer BY W W ATTORNEY May 14, 1968 w. E. CARTWRIGHT ET AL 3,382,989

DEVICE FOR SEPARATING AND FEEDING CUPS SUPPLIED AS A NESTED STACK Filed May 12, 1966 6 Sheets-Sheet r:

7 INVENTOR. is: Willard E. Carfwr/ghf Boyd D. 60 da William H. Hlf/enberger BY WW Ma ATTORNEY May 14, 1968 w. E. CARTWRIGHT ET AL 3,382,989

DEVICE FOR SEPARATING AND FEEDING CUPS SUPPLIED AS A NESTED STACK Filed May 12, 1966 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 1N VEN TOR SE N Willard E. Carfwr/gbf [K Boyd D. Goda Y wi/l/bm H. Hif/enberger B.

M A TTORNEY May 14, 1968 w. E. CARTWRIGHT ET AL DEVICE FOR SEPARATING AND FEEDING CUPS SUPPLIED AS A NESTED STACK 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 12, 1.966

[N VEN TOR.

Willard 5 Car/wr/g/Yf Boyd 0. Goda l l/il/iam H. H/f/enberger BY M M w wk M A TTORNEY May 14, 1968 w. E. CARTWRIGHT ET AL 3,382,989

DEVICE FOR SEPARATING AND FEEDING CUPS SUPPLIED AS A NESTED STACK I Filed May 12; 1966 6 Sheets-Shem ulf so 0 H ii.

INVENTOR.

Willard E. Carfwr/g/yf Boyd D. Goda William H. Hi/fenberger BY WW ATTORNEY May 14, 1968 w. E. CARTWRIGHT ET AL 3,382,989

DEVICE FOR SEPARATING AND FEEDING CUPS SUPPLIED AS A NESTED STACK Filed May 12,1966 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 65 I 29 ,O/ 39 Q Fig. 6 0

Fig. 6

INVENTOR.

Vl il/ard E. carfwfl' h; Boyd D. 60 d6 Fl /0 B William H. H/flenberger ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,382,989 DEVICE FOR SEPARATING AND FEEDING CUPS SUPPLIED AS A NESTED STACK Willard E. Cartwright, Los Altos, and Boyd D. Goda and William H. Hittenberger, Santa (Ilara, Calif., assignors to Kliklok Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 12, 1966, Ser. No. 549,704 3 Claims. (Cl. 214-8.5)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present improvements deal with the separation and feeding of fluted cups supplied as a nested stack and involves the gripping of the endmost cup of the stack and the contraction of its fluted rim about a mandrel to effect separation of the cup from the stack and to permit its withdrawal through a restricted magazine gate. The cup is mainly gripped by a vacuum cup engaging the cup bottom and the grip is maintained from the moment of withdrawal of the cup to the moment of deposit. The vacuum acting on the fluted cup wall is relieved immediately after withdrawal of the cup from the gate and the flared-out relaxed cup passes through a strip-off device at the deposit station which engages the rim of the flared cup and positively prevents it from following the mandrel returning to the magazine for the next cup.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for separating and feeding individual thin walled cups or similar receptacles which, for the purpose of storage or transportation, are nested, one inside another, in stack form.

Cups or receptacles of the aforementioned type may be of fluted or smooth wall construction and may be made of paper or thin sheet plastic. They are used in great numbers in the bakery industry, and also in the packaging of fruit, candy and other merchandise,

The stacks usually contain the individual cups upside down and the stack magazine is provided with retaining elements, such as lugs, or other devices forming a restricted aperture through which the cups cannot pass unless their rim diameter is reduced. In the case of fluted cups this is readily accomplished by the bellows action of the flutes, and in the case of non-fluted cups this is accomplished by a temporary distortion of the rim sufficient to free the foremost cup from the grasp of the retaining elements.

It is known to accomplish the shrinkage or distortion by application of a vacuum to the inside of the cup, generally by means of a mandrel, which limits the extent to which the cup is permitted to collapse.

Once freed, the cup is transported to the desired place of deposit. In this connection it is known to utilize the vacuum which collapsed the cup for the further purpose of holding the cup during transport, in which event the vacuum is not vented and the cup is not permitted to expand until it has arrived at the deposit station.

Thin walled cups or receptacles of the aforementioned type, particularly if of a fluted wall construction, are difficult to separate from one another and are difficult to handle mechanically particularly during collapsing as they do not collapse uniformly. If, therefore, a cup collapses in such a manner that its flutes are crowded opposite a retaining lug or element the crowded portion may not clear the lug or element and misfeeding results.

Difliculties are also encountered if the rim of the cup is not free along its entire periphery when vacuum is applied, for example, when it rests or drags against a porice tion of the magazine gate or a retaining element. In such a case collapsing of the cup produces an unpredictable shape.

The invention accordingly provides an improved method comprising steps which effect a separation of the rim of the bottommost cup from its normal stack support which is either temporarily withdrawn or the cup and the stack above it are lifted clear of the support prior to collapse.

Uncontrolled crowding of portions of the cup wall or rim is prevented by purposely stretching, relatively speaking, certain critical portions of the collapsed rim, while permitting crowding to occur at other non-critical portions so that the release of the cup is not interfered with.

These and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will appear more fully from the detailed description which follows accompanied by drawings showing, for the purpose of illustration, a preferred embodiment of the invention. The invention also resides in certain new and original features of construction and combination of elements, as well as sequences of steps hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Although the characteristic features of this invention which are believed to be novel will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention and the manner in which it may be carried out may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of it in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing showing a cup separator and feeder embodying the invention, the device being shown with its feeder carriage in the withdrawal position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 1, the feeder carriage being in the halfway position between the pickup and the delivery station, the paper cup being removed in order to show details of the feeder;

FIG. 3 shows the device with its feeder carriage in the delivery position;

FIG. 4 is a perspective enlarged view of the delivery station, of the two vacuum pumps and of certain valve control means;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of portions of the device with the feeder carriage near the withdrawal station, some parts and portions being shown broken away in order to illustrate structural details;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are elevational side views of the high vacuum, low volume control valve shown in FIG. 4, FIGS. 6 and 7 showing the valve in its two end positions;

FIG. 8 is a side view, partly in section, of a low vacuum, high volume control valve also shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4; and

FIGS. 9 and 10 are diagrammatic views illustrating the selective stretching and crowding of the cup rim, FIG. 9 showing the rim relaxed, and FIG. 10 showing the rim collapsed.

In the following description and in the claims various details will be identified by specific names for conven ience. The names however are intended to be generic in their application. Corresponding reference characters refer to corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

The drawings accompanying, and forming part of, this specification disclose certain specific details of construction for the purpose of explanation of broader aspects of the invention, but it should be understood that structural details may be modified in various respects without departure from the principles of the invention and that the invention may be incorporated in other structural forms than shown.

FIG. 1 shows a horizontal platform .11 mounted between side plates 12 and 13. The platform supports a vertical magazine 14 filled with a stack of inter-nested cups C resting upside down in the magazine.

The platform 11 further supports the terminal fitting 1 6 of a large diameter vacuum hose 16 leading to a control valve on a large volume vacuum pump 17 whose coaxially mounted drive motor is not visible, as it lies behind the pump 17.

A telescopically movable mouthpiece 18 extends from the fitting 16 downwardly and contacts a hollow feeder carriage 19 whose horizontal shaft 21) is mounted in bearings 21 and 22.

Each of the bearings 21 and 22 forms the forward part of a rearwardly extending casing 23, 24 comprising a vertically extending sleeve portion 25, 26 slidable on vertic'al columns 27, 28, which are best seen above the sleeve portions.

Sufiice it at this point to state that the elements 23, 24 are operated to slide up and down on the columns 27, 28, thereby traveling the distance between the magazine 14 representing the pickup station and a deposit station directly below between lateral guide rails 29, 3t) flanking a conveyor 31 (best seen in FIG. 4). During its up and down travel the carriage 19 with its shaft 21) is rotated 180 degrees by means of a gear and cam drive partially enclosed in a housing 32 and described further below.

The carriage 19 supports a cup-collapsing-and-feeding mandrel hidden in FIG. 1 within the magazine 14 and best described by referring to FIG. 5.

The mandrel 33 is supported on the carriage 19 on a hollow block 34 and comprises a perforated peripheral wall 35 and a face plate 36 from the center of which a vacuum feeder cup 38 protrudes slightly. A high vacuum line 39 extends from the feeder cup 38 and leads eventually, after passing a control valve, to a small volume, high vacuum pump 40 mounted on the front end of its drive motor 41 (FIG. 1).

Returning to FIG. 5, it is seen the interior of the peripherally perforated mandrel is in communication with the interior of the hollow feeder carriage which is fitted with a port 42 for connection, during an appropriate period, to the low vacuum line 16.

For this purpose the port 42 may be moved upwardly against the telescopically movable mouthpiece 18 within the terminal fitting 16 of the low pressure line 16. The mouthpiece is urged into an extended downward position by a helical spring 43 bearing on a flange 44. In the position shown the interior of the mandrel 33 is vented to the atmosphere.

The magazine is provided with inwardly extending cup retaining lugs 45 which protrude sufficiently far to retain relaxed cups (see also FIG. 9), but which leave a central space sufficiently large to permit a cup collapsed about the mandrel 33 to be removed from the magazine (see also FIG. 10).

An oscillating drive shaft 46 moves the slide bearing element 24, 26 up and down by means of a connecting rod 47 and a drive arm 48.

A second connecting rod 49 extends from the arm 48 to an arm 60 on a control shaft 61 which, as will later be explained, operates a control valve for the high vacuum line 39.

The low vacuum, high volume valve 15 within duct 16 controls the application of vacuum to the mandrel at a precisely determined instant.

Referring to FIG. 8 the housing of the valve comprises a large port '74 to the atmosphere.

A valve vane 75 on a shaft 76 is biased by an overcenter spring 77 extending between a stud 7 8 and an arm 79 on the shaft. 1n the position shown in solid lines the vane 75 extends upwardly and closes the duct 16 to which, accordingly, no vacuum is applied. The vacuum pump 17 therefore draws air through the port 74 and runs idle.

An operating arm 81 also fixed on the shaft 76, is operable by a lost motion linkage or rod 81 extending to crank 86 on a shaft 83 of the operating mechanism (see FIG. 5) comprising 'a drive chain 84 trained over a gear 85 on the shaft 83.

When the rod 81 is raised it operates the arm 80 in a clockwise direction causing the vane 75 to flip down under the action of the spring 77 and to close the port 74, whereby vacuum is immediately applied to the mandrel 33 via the duct 16. The moment at which this occurs is chosen to coincide with the moment the mandrel has risen sufficiently far inside the bottommost cup to raise the cup and the stack of cups above it to free the rim of the cup from the retaining lugs 45 so that the rim of the cup may collapse without hindrance.

The cup C now collapses and its bottom is sucked at about the same time against the vacuum cup 38 at which a high vacuum is established. The precise timing of the application of high vacuum is not critical. It is controlled by the valve 66 described further below.

The collapsed cup clears the retaining lugs 45 and is withdrawn downwardly by the retreating carriage 19 which for a certain distance remains under low vacuum until the fully downwardly moving rod 81 shuts the valve 15. At about that moment the fully extended mouthpiece 18 also separates from the port 42.

As the withdrawn cup must be deposited right side up at the deposit station, it is necessary to invert it during its travel. This is accomplished by rotating the feeder carriage 19 180 degrees by its shaft 20.

For this purpose a pinion 50 is mounted on the end of the shaft 20. The pinion meshes with a gear 51 on a crankshaft 52 carrying a crank 53. The crank comprises a follower 54 moving in a cam track 55 in a plate 56 mounted to the side plate 13.

As the carriage 19 moves downwardly the gear 51 is rotated counterclockwisely which, in turn, produces a clockwise rotation of the shaft 26. Thus the mandrel 33 with any cup thereon swings toward the observer.

The mandrel 33 is shown in FIG. 2 in its halfway position. Four radially extending mandrel lugs extend from the mandrel 33 to a radius larger than that of the mandrel itself.

The purpose of these lugs is best explained by referring to FIGS. 9 and 10. It would obviously interfere with the freeing of the cup C from the retaining lugs 45, if the rim were allowed to crowd opposite the retaining lugs to a larger diameter than the ends of the retaining lugs. Such a condition of crowding is indicated at 82. The mandrel lugs 57 prevent such a condition from happening opposite the retaining lugs 45 by stretching the rim, comparatively speaking, at these areas so that no build up of flutes can occur at these areas.

FIG. 3 shows the carriage fully inverted and in its lowest position at which the cup C is being inserted into a polygonal box B moving on the conveyor 31 (see also FIG. 4). At this point the high vacuum at the feeder cup 38 is discontinued and the feeder cup is vented to the atmosphere. Strip off plates 58, 59 (see also FIG. 4) assist in the removal of the deposited cup.

There remains to be explained how the high vacuum is controlled.

Referring to FIG. 4 an arm 60 on the control shaft 61 carries a pair of rollers 62, 63 by means of a mounting plate 64. The rollers 62 and 63 straddle a vane 65 of a valve 66 which controls the application of vacuum created .by the high vacuum pump 40. Suffice it to state at this point that downward movement of the vane 65 by the roller 62 establishes vacuum at the feeder cup 38 and that upward movement of the vane 65 by the roller 63 causes the line 67 extending from the pump to be shut off and the line 39 extending to the cup 38 to be vented.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate how this is accomplished. FIG. 6 shows the valve 66 in the position in which it also appears in FIG. 4. The pump line 67 extends to a valve seat 68 which is pressed by a spring 6? against a cylindrical valve member 70 to which the vane 65 is attached.

The valve member has a bore 71 therethrough from which the vacuum line 39 extends. In the position shown in FIG. 6 the lines 67 and 39 are in communication and vacuum is applied to the feeder cup 38.

In the position shown in FIG. 7 the cylindrical valve member 70 is rotated to shut off the line 67 by a solid surface portion of the valve member at 72, and the line 39 is vented to the atmosphere at 73, the arrow indicating the passage of atmospheric air into the line 39.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device for separating fluted cups of flexible sheet material from a stack of nested cups and feeding separated cups, one by one, to a deposit station, which device comprises means for supporting a stack of nested cups in inverted position including a gate of a size large enough to permit passage therethrough of a cup in con tracted position and small enough to retain a cup in its normal relaxed expanded condition, a transport device movable back and forth between said gate and a deposit station, a suction mandrel on said transport device, said mandrel comprising a perforate peripheral portion and a 'bottom portion against which, upon application of vacuum, the fluted wall of the cup and the bottom of the cup may be drawn, respectively, a source of vacuum for said mandrel including control means for applying vacuum when the mandrel is inserted in the gate and relieving vacuum after withdrawal of the mandrel from the gate, the improvement according to which: (a) the bottom portion of the mandrel is fitted with a vacuum cup, (b)

a separate control means is provided for said vacuum cup, said two control means being so timed-that vacuum is applied to said perforate wall and to said vacuum cup when the mandrel is inserted in said gate, that vacuum is relieved at said perforate wall after withdrawal of said mandrel from said gate, but before relief of vacuum at said vacuum cup, to cause the rim of a cup on said mandrel to expand while the cup is still being held by said vacuum cup, the vacuum at the vacuum cup being relieved at the deposit station, and (c) a strip-off means is provided at the deposit station past which the expanded cup is moved, said strip-off means being adapted to retain, 'by the rim of the expanded cup, a cup released by said vacuum cup.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 in which the mandrel is mounted on a feeder carriage, said carriage comprising an interior air passage with which the perforate peripheral portion of the mandrel communicates, said passage terminating at an air port, and in which a mouthpiece of a vacuum duct is mounted on the device adjacent the magazine gate in a position in which the said air port bears against the mouthpiece when the mandrel is inserted in the magazine gate and in which the said air port separates from said mouthpiece when the mandrel is withdrawn from said gate.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 in which two separate sources of vacuum are provided, viz, a large volume source of relatively low vacuum for said perforate wall, and a small volume source of relatively high vacuum for said vacuum cup.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,777,602 1/1957 Genich 221-211 X 2,937,786 5/ 1960' Muller 221--211 2,976,659 3/1961 Flanagan 2148.5 3,090,523 5/1963 Packman 22l36 ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Primary Examiner.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Examiner.

G. F. ABRAHAM, Assistant Examiner. 

